Inclusive Library Leadership

Library leaders have committed to creating and improving more inclusive environments for our users through programming, collections, and outreach. But are we committed to the same improvements for our workers? The American Library Association’s latest data shows that librarianship’s whiteness remains virtually unchanged, suggesting that we still have a long way to go to be a truly inclusive field in race and other axes of identity. In this course, participants will build practical skills to positively impact workplace inclusion, from recruitment to retention. With these tools, students will be able to build an equitable employee life cycle—from hiring, to onboarding, to training—and ​create a safe and inclusive environment for every staff member.

In this class, students will learn how to… 

• Design an inclusive hiring process.
• Onboard all staff in a welcoming way.
• Establish equitable human resources policies.
• Confidently approach performance and other difficult conversations with staff.
• Use managerial power to advocate for staff well-being and workplace change.
• Protect and address staff safety.
• Employ and model boundaries as an inclusive practice.
• Create a sense of belonging to improve staff retention. 

Course Audience: New or experienced supervisors, managers, and administrators looking to create more inclusive workplaces.